A day out with the girls

We love our burnt almond fudge ice cream

Mom, me and Angie went to Deseret Village and had some quality bonding time for her Mormon Youth reunion lunch. I hadn't been to Deseret Village in quite a while, and though it has not made my top 20 places I want to spend my day list, it was a fun day out with the girls.

Mom and me and the pioneers

"Miss Independent"

Hat friends

The Kidney Ordeal

Brad has been cursed with a Kidney Stone!

The past couple days off and on his face looks like this...

(he picked out this pic)

Oh the pain! Those women who experience kidney stones and child birth say the pain of a kidney stone is about equal if not greater. So thus far in our married life Brad has come closer to the pain of child birth (sans epidural) than I. And after rushing him to the ER, hearing his moans and groans, expressions such as "run the light!", and witnessing his agony I don't know why but my excitement for child birth has faded. It's easy to laugh about it now when the pain has gone away, but poor Brad! I hate standing by just watching him suffer knowing all I can do is rub his back and make sure he has his pain killers. I hope this passes soon! I feel so blessed that I was calm at the time of crisis- it was my first time taking someone to the ER, and that our friends happened to mention to us about having a preferred hospital for your insurance. I hope this health care reform does something about that! Seriously doesn't it make sense that all hospitals accept your insurance. But thankfully we were keyed in about this stupid rule before the crisis. His doctor and nurses were great and the only grumpy person of the day was the pharmacist at the drug store. We are both so happy we were not out on some traveling adventure when this happened, and are grateful for all the support of our family.

Mary Dennis- NCSP School Psychologist

So another school year has come to a close and I look back on now 4 years of my profession as a School Psychologist. I am learning and learning and learning more and more each year. I still feel this is more of a calling than a "job." I've been able to see the hand of the Lord in so many ways and I've felt my prayers answered in behalf of sweet children and more fully begin to understand how the atonement can give us hope, and in situations where that is all that can be clung to- it can be enough. I've seen tears and heard stories that make me hurt and it's amazing for most of all those I've seen the hope and simple faith of childhood that things are going to be okay. As it seems there is opposition truly in all things, along with these sweet memories, I have been in the heat of many professional battles advocating for children. Some have not been pretty and I have learned that even adults have tantrums. Professionalism isn't always found in the field of education and I have been faced with some ugly situations, but I've held firm to my professional conduct and have received many compliments from those in my field about how I handle these people and situations. I think most importantly though, at the end of the day what I'm happy about and how I know I have made a difference is looking back on the relationships I have built with students and the progress (sometimes just millimeters) they make. I remember being faced with the decision of graduate school or a mission. I felt and still feel my choice was inspired and that in some form or another this profession and the direction it takes me will always be apart of my life.